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14 Army AL&T Magazine
burden, minimize tactical distractions
to the mission, and deny easy targets to
the adversary."
The Assistant Product Manager (APM)
Soldier Power falls under PEO Soldier's
Project Manager Soldier Warrior (PM
SWAR), whose mission is to provide
power solutions to Soldiers operating in
the most austere environments, known as
Tier 1 environments.
Tier 1 environments have no power infra-
structure. Soldiers perform dismounted
operations in complex, restrictive terrain.
Everything that Soldiers have available to
them is located in their rucksacks or on
their bodies. These Soldiers are at the heart
of Soldier Power developmental efforts.
SOLDIER FEEDBACK
In November 2011, the 1st Battalion,
16th Infantry Regiment (1/16) received a
no-notice deployment order. PEO Soldier
provided this unit with a suite of expedi-
tionary power systems. The deployment
was in support of Village Stability
Platform (VSP) operations in Afghani-
stan. VSPs are largely cut off from the
supply chain, compared with FOBs or
patrol bases.
These power items were intended to
sustain units that did not have access
to a preexisting power grid, vehicles, or
items such as generators. The items sent
included the Soldier Power Manager, a
state-of-the-art, lightweight, portable
power management system; the Ruck-
sack Enhanced Portable Power System
(REPPS), a solar power system; 300 watt
fuel cells; and 1 kilowatt (kW) generators.
Soldiers of the 1/16 recognized the utility
of the generators and fuel cells but indi-
cated that the unique fuel requirements,
combined with the weight of the sys-
tems, made them better suited to a more
enduring operating environment such as
a FOB or a combat outpost. This feed-
back prompted the APM Soldier Power
office to move research and development
dollars toward items that are more por-
table, with fewer logistical requirements.
The generators and fuel cells fit into ruck-
sacks, but feedback from the 1/16 helped
demonstrate that many other mission-
specific items besides power needs are
carried in the rucksack.
The Soldier feedback, both positive and
negative, catapulted Soldier Power to
the forefront of the strategic conversa-
tion. Comments on the Soldier Power
Manager and the REPPS kit were
resoundingly positive and underscored
the value of being able to scavenge fuel
and renewable energy on the battlefield.
Soldier feedback also renewed focus on
the developments in improved battery
chemistry to help equipment run longer.
The Soldier Power office was able to work
closely with industry to identify and
develop improved solar technology that
performs more efficiently than its current
rate of about 8 percent. Research is also
being conducted to develop multi-fuel
generators that can be used for scaveng-
ing any type of fuel on the battlefield to
power man-portable generators.
NETWORK INTEGRATION
An expeditionary power suite will be
sent to the Army's Network Integration
Evaluation (NIE) 12.2 in May as a system
under evaluation (SUE). This includes a
kinetic energy device, the Soldier Power
Manager, a 1 kW JP-8 generator, and a
solar blanket. These items are intended
to serve as one package per platoon.
This tailored package meets the power
needs of what is becoming known as
the networked formation, which has
a much greater power requirement
than traditional units using FM radios
because the Soldiers' radios are always
on, sending and receiving information
and draining power. Evaluation of the
Expeditionary Soldier Power Suite will
help determine the sustainability of the
networked formation.
A second SUE at NIE 12.2 is the Sol-
dier Worn Integrated Power Equipment
System (SWIPES). It provides a central
power source for extended missions when
used with the ergonomic, Soldier-worn
conformal battery, while reducing the
numbers and varieties of batteries the
Soldier must carry. SWIPES can provide
power for up to four devices, including
but not limited to a radio via a smart
charging pouch, a USB hub to power any
USB device, a Defense Advanced GPS
Receiver, and an end-user device such
as Nett Warrior, the Soldier-borne situ-
ational awareness tool.
The Universal Battery Charger (UBC)
with a 120 watt solar blanket will also
be evaluated at NIE 12.2. This system
weighs approximately 6 pounds and
brings recharging forward for the entire
networked squad in a Tier 1 environ-
ment. This charger will reduce, and
potentially eliminate, the need to return
to the FOB for recharging. The UBC will
allow Soldiers to extend mission duration
without being tethered to a logistics bat-
tery resupply.
The Army's Rapid Equipping Force
(REF) recently approached the APM
Soldier Power office to request support
for an operational energy fielding to the
173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team
and the 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne
Division (1/82). These units will receive
much larger Soldier power packages
tailored to specific unit requirements
and informed by the feedback received
from the 1/16. The 173rd and 1/82 will
SOLDIER POWER